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The beginning began. You don’t want to buy PORTAL?

A couple of days ago, we couldn’t even imagine that behind a boring, tedious, dreary achievement there could be a story of unexpected, dizzying success. Hello everyone, Cheezzy purple beard is here and let me tell you about the ideological father of the cult game Portal, and about the incomprehensible gibberish that once kicked open the doors of the Valve studio.

An achievement that cannot be kept silent about

While lonely spaceships plow through space, we quietly surfed the Internet in the evenings, looking for information on the upcoming blog. The topic of the article being prepared was, of course, determined, so the matter remained small. All you have to do is dig up the facts necessary for the story and put it into an interesting story. Work, in general, for a couple of sleepless nights. However, the unexpected happened.

The information trail that we had been following all this time suddenly took a turn like a plague and led us to a list of achievements in a game adored by many Portal 2. Among the many assorted achievements with which the puzzle is filled, our eyes caught on one cooperative trophy. For a small challenge, which at first glance seems like sheer nonsense, unworthy of absolutely no attention.

A gamer who wants to get the achievement that interests us must, in a team game, open a portal under his partner’s feet while he is gesticulating. That’s all. As you understand, the most difficult thing in getting a trophy is finding a friend who not only stores in his game library Portal 2, but I’m also ready to help you in such an exciting, hilarious, fun activity. After all, the achievement in question is as bland as possible, and, let’s be honest, incredibly boring.

However, it was not the difficulty of winning the trophy, nor the conditions for obtaining it that attracted our attention. Of course not. We have our eyes fixed on what is literally on the surface.

Receiving the achievement we are interested in. Channel: Globku. Video title: Portal 2 – Narbacular Drop achievement

For the name of the achievement. The fact is that all achievements Portal 2 translated into Russian. Moreover, the barbaric gibberish was replaced with letters familiar from childhood, not just anyhow. Experts in foreign speech have offered elegantly punning translations in several cases. Sabotage, for example, or Ptureldactyl. That is why it is extremely surprising that among such funny names there is a completely random, broken set of letters in the form of Narbaculer drop. A very strange phrase with a taste of prohibited substances, isn’t it??

However, when we first encountered the incomprehensible “Narbaculer Drop”, we could not even imagine how deep the portal hole was.

What is this Nyurbe… buckler…bluer drop?

In fact, hidden in the untranslatable script of letters is a heartbreaking story about a strong and independent girl. In ancient times, in the era of knights and dragons, it so happened that a charming, sweet princess was kidnapped by an evil demon. The horned monster, as befits many of its fellows, locks the freshly killed victim in a dungeon so that it comes to its senses and comes to terms with its unenviable fate.

Yes, only the royal person, who received the unspoken nickname “Princess Without Knees” due to her inability to jump, was against such a fate. However, the current situation was not to the liking of the stone elemental Wally, in whose, in fact, guts the demon imprisoned the girl. As a result, the mythical creature cooperates with the princess so that she can get out. After all, as everyone knows, from any living creature there are at least two ways out.

Such a twisted story, invented about https://mindepositcasino.co.uk/ 19 years ago, was called Narbaculer drop, or more precisely, – Narbacular Drop, for a reason. The creators, let’s not be afraid of this word – the creators, working on their first virtual adventure, set out to outwit the Google search engine. Make it so that upon request it produces exclusively their project. That is why insignificant gibberish appeared – Narbacular.

But the postscript “Drop”, translated as a drop, was introduced from a practical point of view. So that gamers understand that the first word of the game name is English, and do not try to decipher it by resorting to any other languages.

Our secret goal was to name the game Narbacular Drop so that one day it would become the only content that Google would find for the keyword Narbacular. Google hasn’t found anything for the search term "Narbacular" in the last 15 days. You were probably afraid that Google would never go to our page because the word “Narbacular” is just a fiction. But fear no more because Google has found Narbcular! Try searching for “Narbacular” right now and you will see for yourself!

Entry dated September 30, 2004 on the official website of the game Narbacular Drop (Translation – Yandex Translator)

So, the achievement Narbaculer drop in Portal 2 is a reference, an Easter egg to an already quite old student project Narbacular Drop. For a game created in 8 months by a group of enthusiasts and which, in fact, gave birth to a cult puzzle Portal.

Like with Russell Crowe in a bar

The history of the unusual puzzle originates in the dungeons of the DigiPen Institute of Technology, comfortably located in the city of Redmond, Washington. An educational institution specializing in training programmers, in particular game developers, required students to create virtual adventures as part of their educational program. But student projects would remain a useless digital code if not for the annual practice of holding the so-called Career Day.

The American Institute not only organized an exhibition of games created by senior students, but also invited existing developers to it. In our case, in the relatively cold January 2005, DigiPen was visited by employees of the famous Valve studio. After studying the presented projects, they noticed one original puzzle Narbacular Drop.

A team of seven students, having discarded many ideas, made the main focus of their game on problems with teleports. The princess, who was taken hostage, used portals to overcome all sorts of traps hidden in the stone entrails of the elemental. And although the project was not completed, not completed, Valve employees still saw enormous potential in it.

The concept literally amazed the followers of the red valve, and therefore, after talking with the young developers, they later invited them to visit. So that they could talk in more detail about their puzzle and demonstrate it to other Valve employees. Of course, the satisfied, joyful students readily agreed, not forgetting to share such significant news with their few fans on the official website Narbacular Drop.

Have you ever played basketball with Michael Jordan?? Have you ever played with B.B. King?? Have you ever walked into a bar with Russell Crowe?? No? Well, we talked about working with Valve Software! You don’t believe me? I would have believed it was a dream too, if I hadn’t found Mike Dussault’s business card in my pocket exactly where I left it last night. As you would expect, team morale is at an all-time high.

Entry dated January 21, 2005 on the official website of the game Narbacular Drop (Translation – Yandex Translator)

The video, accompanied by news about Valve employees appearing at the exhibition, clearly demonstrates how happy the young talents were to meet

Some time later, a group of students working on a puzzle arrives at the Valve studio office. Young ambitious developers, having prepared a presentation of their own game, expect, at most, an interesting tour of a famous company and a couple of good tips. They didn’t want anything more even in their wildest dreams. However, everything turned out completely wrong.

Presentation of the developed Narbacular Drop took place with the participation of Gabe Newell himself. The father of cult games and a steam online store listened attentively to the students speaking. The young talents impressed the head of Valve not only with the original mechanics with portals, but also with the embodiment of their idea, which was very difficult to do in those years. In connection with this, Gabe suddenly interrupts the speech, asking the students one important question. What do young developers plan to do after graduation??

Confused, the programmers only mumbled that they were going to get a job. To get money, as it were. At least they hope so. However, they have no exact plans yet. To which the imperturbable Newell, without blinking an eye, offered to join the friendly ranks of his company. But not just like that, but to develop a new game based on their graduation project. As you understand, at that moment the fate of a puzzle that did not yet exist was being decided Portal.

Narbacular Drop Walkthrough. Channel: Vodoleyka. Video title: Narbacular Drop – Full Walkthroiugh – That’s where the Portal has started!

Gamers who love to carry

Creator team Narbacular Drop fully joined the ranks of Valve studio. Having completed their graduation project, which was repeatedly praised at exhibitions and festivals of independent game makers, the young talents, in collaboration with their colleagues, began to implement a new puzzle. Towards creation Portal. To a cult project, the development of which is worthy of special mention.

It would seem that this is where the story of a small virtual adventure, born in 8 months, has come to an end. Perhaps so, but only passionate gamers extended their short life significantly Narbacular Drop. And they did it according to all the canons of loyal, true Valve fans.

Speedrunners in action. Meeperty Player Run. Channel: MeepMeep. Video title: Narbacular Drop Crate Run in ~2:27

Once telling about the difficult fate of the garden Gnome Chomsky, flew into space thanks to Gabe Newell, we mentioned the love of Valve fans to invent challenges for carrying various objects. For example, particularly stubborn gamers once carried Half-Life 2 plastic doll and a discharged Alliance ball mine. So here it is.

Players in Narbacular Drop We also found something interesting to do. As part of the "Crate Runs" challenge, speedrunners drag a heavy box from the beginning of the game to the very end. For what? Why? The answer is outrageously simple. Because they can.

The story of the stunning success of students who developed a puzzle suddenly appeared in our field of vision Narbacular Drop, ruined all plans. Yes, due to some similarity in themes, the original material, which unexpectedly led to the forefather Portal, will go on the shelf temporarily. However, there is nothing terrible or terrible in this. We will definitely return to it someday. Everything has its time. And Cheezzy the purple beard was you, broadcasting and marveling. We will definitely see you on the endless, vast expanses of the Internet.